


Silk and Steel

by Zaltia



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Airships, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, F/F, Rebellious Princesses, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8538397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaltia/pseuds/Zaltia
Summary: In the age of steel and steam, the world is as wide as you imagine it is. For Princess Lazuli, she can't stop imagining what lies beyond that horizon. One day, she's going to see what's out there.Vintage Lesbians. Action, adventure. Swashbuckling. Steampunk stuff.Inspired by Dishonored and The Princess Bride





	

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis doesn't get along well with people.

The first time she met her, she hated her. 

 

Finding the princess was a daily chore. Every servant in the castle had to do it at least once. A visitor once asked, “how do you lose a princess?” The head maid responded “It is a big castle. And you haven’t met princess Lapis.”  Then she threw him out of the courtyard, but that’s a story for another day.

 

This day the princess decided she wanted to watch the ocean. Standing atop a balcony, she looked over the harbor. Today she was wearing her favorite blue sundress, aquamarine with cobalt trims. Her dark blue hair blowed in the sea breeze, barely held in place by her cog-shaped hairpin. Ships docked in the harbor, steam rising from their engines. In the sky, an airship descended to the landing pad built on a rock structure overlooking the docks. Salt and steam mixed to make the kind of scent Lapis was addicted to. 

 

As she stood overlooking the docks, dress flapping in the wind, she smiled as she watched the masses running through the street below. Personal vehicles, wired machines with steam engines powering the back, zoomed down the streets past street performers showing off their new robotic creations. The buildings all hummed with electricity as they blew steam into the air. Sighing to herself, she leaned on the railing and tried to imagine what it felt like to be down there.

 

“Princess, there you are!” a shrill voice ruined her mood. Rolling her eyes, Lapis let out a groan. With practiced efficiency, she stood up and took a deep breath.

 

“I was just stepping out for some air.” she said, turning to the source of the voice. “I’m allowed to get fresh air aren’t I?” Glaring without any bite, she looked ahead to the servant who drew the short stick today. The empty space in front of her had nothing to say. Confused, she had to look down about three inches to see the shorter girl, standing in front of her, struggling to catch her breath.

 

She was a soldier. Her uniform was cleanly pressed, dark blues and black alternating like the royal flag, barely concealing the gun at her side. Her right arm had the standard grade steel sleeve. Lapis couldn’t see the girls eyes because of her goggles. The frame was dark bronze, but the lenses were jade green. Several other smaller lenses hung off to the side, held by individual connection arms. The whole thing was strapped to her head with a black leather strap that clashed on her pale skin. It definitely wasn’t standard issue. Her blonde hair was messy underneath the royal guard hat creating a fringe that almost covered her goggles. 

 

“Of course your majesty.” the girl ground out, steadying her breathing. Joints creaked as the girl ran her armored hand through her bangs. “I’m just here following orders to find you. I was told I had to look after you.”

 

Lapis frowned, glaring at the girl through her goggles. “Soldier, I want to know who gave you this order. Because I would like to know who should get fired this week. Just to make sure, you do know who you’re addressing here, right?” The girl flinched before swallowing. Lapis felt a little guilt building in her stomach. Shrugging it off, she watched the girl open her mouth.

 

“Princess Lapis Lazuli, third daughter of the Azure Kingdom, fifth child to the queen regent.” the girl rattled off. “Your mother sent me. I’m here to take care of you.”

 

Lapis flushed, vision turning red as she grit her teeth. “Of course, mother sent another baby sitter.” she growled. The thought of her mother tightened a knot in her chest. “Well you can just turn around and run right back to the factory you popped out of. Or better yet, you could tell her that maybe for once in her life she could pretend to care about me. Because if I need one more keeper because she’s worried I’ll embarrass her, then she can-”

 

“I mean no disrespect.” The girl interrupted. The princess stood there, staring at the soldier in front of her. Her brain tried to process the last time she had been interrupted. “But, I know what you are speaking of. I’ve heard your story from the other guards and. And that’s why I don’t want to do that.”

 

Lapis raised an eyebrow at the soldier girl in front of her. “Excuse me?”

 

“I’ve heard them talk.” the girl said, stuttering a bit. “I know how your mother sees and treats you. And that’s why she sends all the personal guards. And I don’t want to do that, it feels wrong.”

Lapis snorted and looked to the side. “Right, right. Well that is very noble of you soldier. Why don’t you take that attitude and walk it right back into the barracks. Because, the last thing I want is some soldier trying to play therapist.”

 

Lapis watched the soldier from  the corner of her eye. She stood there, shifting in place uncomfortably. Sighing, Lapis closed her eyes. She gave her maybe ten more seconds before she ran back to wherever she came from. She wasn’t the first babysitter to try and ‘be different’, but she could be the fastest to give up.

 

“I don’t want to be your therapist.” the girl said. Opening her eyes, Lapis looked over at the girl with her hands clenched at the hem of her suit. “I, I know what it feels like. To be alone like that. I volunteered because I thought you’d like someone who understood you. I just want to help.”

 

Snorting, the princess turned back to her. “You want to help? Funny, well here’s how you could help soldier. Unless you can do something that nobody else has done, I want you to go away. I want you to leave, and tell my mother to leave me alone. Because I don’t need her and I definitely don’t need a soldier who doesn’t know her place.”

 

The soldier stood there, silent. Lapis sighed and stood up properly. She needed to stop doing that. Scratching the back of her head, she started to apologize. But the soldier beat her to it.

 

“I can do something different.” the soldier said. Stopping, Lapis looked up at the girl who now stood, back straight. “Would. Would you like me to show you what I mean?”

 

Laughter erupted out of Lapis’s throat. Smiling she shrugged her shoulders. “Alright, sure. I’m bored anyway. So please, show me what you got.” she curtsied at the end.

 

The girl nodded and walked forward. Reaching out, she pulled the princess close to her with her unarmored arm. Lapis flinched at the contact, but before she could complain her feet left the ground. The girl had jumped onto the railing, holding Lapis close with her free hand. Said princess clung to the rude girl reflexively.  “Wait, wait what are you doing?!” she gasped.

 

The girl grabbed the railing and a hook emerged from the steel glove. It clamped to the rail with a loud thunk. The girl turned to Lapis and smirked. “Hold on.”

 

Lapis almost screamed as air rushed around them. They fell for a few moments, but Lapis swore it was an eternity. Holding on for dear life, she closed her eyes tight and prayed for the first time. Then, the falling stopped. “Good job princess.” the voice in her ear whispered. “Try opening your eyes now.”

 

Swallowing her fear, Lapis peaked her eyes open. Her jaw dropped in awe as she saw the city. For her entire life, she had looked at everything from above. People looked like ants, and houses looked like playhouses. But here, hanging by the side of the castle, she found herself just a bit closer to the buildings. Everything seemed bigger, and everything seemed new. She heard a sigh next to her ear.

 

“I’m sorry about that princess.” she said, smiling gently. “I’ll make sure to warn you next time.”

 

“I, wait what?” Lapis blubbered. Shaking her head, she tried to remember how words worked. But she couldn’t take her eyes off the town, or the horizon she could see so much better now. 

 

The girl hummed, swinging them closer to the wall. Her foot found purchase on a ledge and she pulled them onto the wall. Gingerly, Lapis took a step onto the ledge, finding it wide enough for her feet. The girl held onto her, not letting go even when she stood up straight. Making sure her footing was secure, she turned back to the cable that stretched from the balcony. With a flick of her wrist, a blade popped out of the sleeve and severed the cable. 

 

“Walk that way, there’s a rooftop we can sit on around the corner.” the girl said. Lapis looked at her, then looked down. Her stomach almost inverted itself as she saw the heights. So she nodded, pressing herself against the wall as the girl slowly guided her along the ledge. 

 

It took about five minutes, but they found the roof of what Lapis remembered is the kitchen. Stepping off the ledge, she walked across the metal roof. The girl followed her and motioned towards the edge. She took a seat there and Lapis took one next to her.

 

“So, different enough for you?” The girl asked, fiddling with the mechanisms on her sleeve. “I heard you like looking at the city.”

 

Lapis leaned back and watched the sky-line. She could see the workers unloading the airship. The masts on the docked boats looked so much bigger. She looked up and the sky felt so much larger. Taking a deep breath she turned to the soldier.

 

“You’re insane.” she said, smile on her lips.

 

The soldier laughed and rubbed the back of her head. “I, uh, get that a lot.” as she said this, she started fiddling with her goggles. “I know, you’re tired of having bodyguards. But still can I give it a shot one more time? There are a lot more places I want to show you, if you’ll let me.”  

 

Stretching the girl pulled the goggles off her eyes, putting them right over the brim of her hat. When she looked back, Lapis felt like she saw green for the first time. The girl looked at her, smile as wide as a the horizon. Lapis looked away, heat rising to her face.

 

“You do realize I could have you imprisoned for endangerment of royalty, right?” Lapis said with a smirk.

 

The girl swallowed. “Uh, I. Oh stars.”

 

Lapis snorted and punched her in the shoulder. “Relax, relax. I’m not sending you to jail.”

 

The girl exhaled. “That’s a relief.” she muttered

 

“One thing though.” she said, gripping the edge of the roof. “Well, two actually.”

 

“Anything my lady.” the girl responded.

 

Lapis sighed and looked back to the girl. “Stop treating me like royalty. I hate it when people do it. I’m just Lapis. And I want somebody to treat me like it.”

 

The soldier’s smile softened as she nodded. “Anything for you Lapis.” she said as she leaned back, looking at the sky.

 

Lapis turned over and looked at her. She tried not to stare for too long before speaking. “Second thing. What’s your name soldier?”

 

The girl looked back and blinked. Her mouth formed an ‘o’ as she looked away. “Oh, I forgot to say that? I, well that’s embarrassing.”

 

Lapis laughed and flopped back onto the roof, watching the clouds in the sky. “Yeah, well. Take me somewhere new tomorrow and I’ll forgive you.”

 

The soldier laughed, bells ringing in Lapis’s ears. “Don’t you have a dance class tomorrow after grammar studies?”

 

“I thought I told you not to treat me like royalty.” Lapis smirked.

 

“I’m not. If I was, I would have just said yes.” the girl said, lying down next to the blue-haired girl.

 

Lapis rolled her eyes. “You’re a smartass soldier.” she mumbled.

 

“Peridot.”

 

Lapis turned over and looked at the soldier. The soldier turned her head back to the princess. “My name is Peridot.” she said with a small smile.

 

Lapis smiled back.

  
“It’s nice to meet you Peridot.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's my newest fanfic. Honestly I've been wanting to write something about princesses and guards and stuff for a while. And then i had an idea for royal guard peridot and I was hooked. So, here is the product of a few happy sleepless nights.
> 
> I'm still new at romance and stuff but hopefully you all enjoy this. Comments and kudos are always appreciated. I'll see you guys next chapter.


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